Celtic finances: the spectacular and the frustrations

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When the new Champions League format was announced some years ago, we wondered where it could move the income dial for Celtic.  The answer for the year to 30 June 2025 turned out to be a 15% uplift on the previous term, to a staggering £143.6m.  Despite this, year-end cash balance was almost unchanged, at £77.3m (up just £100k).

This reflects the largest investment in player acquisition in our history – £38.6m – as well as the major infrastructure investment at Barrowfield.  After-tax profit was an eye-watering £33.9m, a figure which could remain a highpoint for a long time.

Operational expenses – the cost of running the club out-with player trading – was £117m.  That is only £6.5m more than the previous year’s turnover, a season which included old-format Champions League revenue.  This year, income will be lower than last year’s costs.  Don’t misconstrue this, we are in a very comfortable position, but we are running hot.  This level of expenditure is unsustainable without Champions League football.

In a change of tone from last week’s statement, chief executive Michael Nicholson wrote, “As a Board, we take responsibility for the failure to achieve [Champions League football] and commit to improving going forward.”  This message should been front and centre of the earlier statement.  A bit of contrition goes a long way.

All that cash is a burden to a football club which fails to use it.  Fans buy tickets with an expectation their money will be spent (I was told that by a former chief exec).  One of the board’s primary tasks is to fulfil this expectation, without destabilising finances when income is so dependent on qualifiers played in August.

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Looking from the outside in, these things look straightforward.  Whether that is the case or not, is immaterial to most fans.  The frustration many will feel at reading such spectacularly successful financial results, just weeks after the Kairat defeat, is understandable.  The positive is, we get to go again.  Learn, switch-up and lean into that cash balance.

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  1. dundee score, hahahahaahahahah

     

     

    rangers now in the play off position where there opponents could be Neil Lennons Dunfermline, Scott Browns Ayr or Mark Wilsons Partick.

     

     

    my dreams shall continue,

     

     

    that is some mob at Snake Mountain, things are turning ugly.

  2. Rangers down to 11th, only Aberdeen below them and the Dons have a game on hand which they play before the Huns next game.

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  4. we got branches, baubles an at, we just dont have the tree,

     

     

    ————

     

     

    genius, what are the branches – detachable ?

  5. Sevco are now 11th in the league after Dundee won today and if Aberdeen win tomorrow they will be bottom of the league.

  6. Martin says he doesnt know what the fans are complaining about,

     

     

    that is another saturday with out losing a league game,

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  8. Right outside the dressing room Lorriane has called in to radio clyde to say it’s not nice what they are doing she suggest that they should stop buying pies instead

     

     

     

    Do they still serve blue nose pakora and broxy burgers ?

  9. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    “Learn”? That’s a good one!

     

    If only something like this had happened before we could have learned from then!

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  11. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Hard to imagine there’s Celtic fans out there hoping Celtic Park looks like Mordor this evening during our Europa campaign.

     

     

    Strange times indeed.

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  16. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Dearie me.

     

     

    Need to find something else to watch but at least Martin survives.

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